Compositions and methods for making clarified aesthetically enhanced articles

Abstract

Thermoplastic articles may be manufactured having a high degree of visual appeal to consumers. Clarifying agents may be employed as additives in such thermoplastic articles to produce high clarity articles. A coloring agent may be mixed with clarifying agents to form a first blend, and then such a first blend may be applied in very low loadings to form a clarified polymeric article. It is possible to achieve an observable visual benefit while using very low loadings of coloring agent in a polyolefin, such as polypropylene. Carbon black is a pigment that may provide such observable benefits in polypropylene.

1. A clarified polypropylene resin composition comprising:
 (a) a polypropylene resin; and 
 (b) an additive composition, the additive composition comprising:
 (i) a clarifying agent, and 
 (ii) at least one pigment, the pigment being selected from the group consisting of black pigments, purple pigments, blue pigments, and mixtures thereof; 
 
 wherein the clarifying agent and the pigment are present in the additive composition in a ratio of about 50-10,000 parts of pigment to 1 million parts clarifying agent, 
 wherein the additive composition exhibits an L* value of at least 85, and 
 wherein the clarifying agent is present in the clarified polypropylene resin composition in a concentration of from about 500 ppm to about 5,000 ppm of the total clarified polypropylene resin composition. 
 
     
     
       2. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 , wherein said clarifying agent comprises a dibenzylidene sorbitol, or a derivative thereof. 
     
     
       3. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 , wherein said resin composition has a concentration of pigment of less than about 5 ppm of the total clarified polypropylene resin composition. 
     
     
       4. An article of manufacture formed using the clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 3 . 
     
     
       5. An article of manufacture formed using the clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       6. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 , wherein said pigment is a black pigment. 
     
     
       7. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 , wherein said additive composition is substantially white in color, and exhibits an L* value of at least 90. 
     
     
       8. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of pigment to clarifying agent is from about 200-5,000 parts of pigment to 1 million parts clarifying agent. 
     
     
       9. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1  wherein said pigment comprises carbon black. 
     
     
       10. A clarified thermoplastic polymer composition comprising:
 (a) a thermoplastic polymer, 
 (b) an additive composition comprising:
 (i) a first agent capable of clarifying the thermoplastic polymer, and 
 (ii) at least one pigment, the pigment being selected from the group consisting of black pigments, purple pigments, blue pigments, and mixtures thereof; 
 
 wherein the first agent and the water-insoluble coloring agent are present in the additive composition in a ratio of about 50 to about 10,000 parts of the pigment to 1 million parts of the clarifying agent, 
 wherein the additive composition exhibits an L* value of at least 85, and 
 wherein the clarifying agent is present in the thermoplastic polymer composition in a concentration of from about 500 ppm to about 5,000 ppm of the total clarified polypropylene resin composition. 
 
     
     
       11. The clarified thermoplastic polymer composition of  claim 10 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene. 
     
     
       12. The clarified thermoplastic polymer composition of  claim 10 , wherein the ratio of pigment to clarifying agent is from about 200-5,000 parts of pigment to 1 million parts of the clarifying agent. 
     
     
       13. The clarified thermoplastic polymer composition of  claim 10 , wherein the additive composition is substantially white in color, and exhibits an L* value of at least 90. 
     
     
       14. The clarified thermoplastic polymer composition of  claim 10 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, acid scavengers, slip agents, light stabilizers, optical brighteners, UV light absorbers, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       15. The clarified thermoplastic polymer composition of  claim 10 , wherein the clarifying agent is a dibenzylidene sorbitol, or a derivative thereof. 
     
     
       16. The clarified thermoplastic polymer composition of  claim 10 , wherein the first agent is aluminum bis[2,2′-methylene-bis-(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate]. 
     
     
       17. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 , wherein the clarifying agent is aluminum bis[2,2′-methylene-bis-(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate]. 
     
     
       18. The clarified polypropylene resin composition of  claim 1 , wherein the clarified polypropylene resin composition further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, acid scavengers, slip agents, light stabilizers, optical brighteners, UV light absorbers, and mixtures thereof.